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Pleural involvement in the carcinoid syndrome
S F Moss1, P J Lehner, S G Gilbey
1Department of Medicine, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
The Quarterly Journal of Medicine
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Pleural thickening is a newly identified complication of carcinoid syndrome. This study suggests that pleural changes are linked to metastatic carcinoid disease, not thoracic tumors.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pulmonology
- Pathology
Background:
- Carcinoid syndrome can cause tissue fibrosis.
- Pleural changes associated with carcinoid syndrome are not well-documented.
- Metastatic carcinoid disease requires further investigation into its systemic effects.
Observation:
- Severe pleural thickening was observed in two patients with metastatic carcinoid syndrome.
- A review of 50 patients with carcinoid syndrome revealed pleural abnormalities in 28%.
- Idiopathic pleural thickening was identified in 18% of patients, suggesting a link to the syndrome.
Findings:
- Pleural disease developed within two years of diagnosis in affected patients.
- Seven of nine patients with idiopathic pleural thickening also had fibrosis in other organs (heart valves, skin, mesentery).
- No evidence indicated faster disease progression in patients with pleural involvement.
Implications:
- Pleural thickening may be an underrecognized manifestation of metastatic carcinoid disease.
- This finding expands the known spectrum of carcinoid syndrome complications.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms and clinical significance of carcinoid-related pleural disease.